AN INAUGURAL summit for women leaders in both the government and non-government sector throughout Micronesia will be held Aug. 1 to 3 at the Ngarachamayong Cultural Center, in Koror, Republic of Palau.
Delegates from the Freely Associated States of Micronesia, Republic of Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau and the U.S. territories of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam are expected to attend the 2012 Micronesian Regional Women's Summit: Weave and Balance the Basket: Strengthening Micronesian Women through Culture, Tradition and Knowledge to Meet Today's Challenges.
In preparation for the event, Interior Department Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas Tony Babauta also met with the Women of Micronesia Exchange Network, or WOMEN Inc., to discuss important women’s issues. The preliminary discussion was held to help set the agenda.
WOMEN Inc. board member Dr. Melissa Taitano stated in a press release: “We have been in coordination with Assistant Secretary Babauta, the Office of the President of the Republic of Palau, and assisting their women’s group, Mechesil Belau, to plan this inaugural summit.”
In the same press release, Babauta stated: “Supporting the summit is fundamental to the promotion and encouragement of active engagement of women in all spheres of Micronesia’s respective island societies with issues ranging from education, employment, ownership and control over resources, cultural preservation, political representation, institutional decision-making, care-giving, household and community management.”
The formation of WOMEN Inc. was supported by the passage of MCES Resolution 17-04 by the Micronesian Chief Executives, formally recognizing “that political, social and economic equity, gender equality and environmental justice are the cornerstones for achieving a sustainable future, and that women are fundamentally linked to achieving success in this endeavor.”
Information about the summit can be accessed here.
Palau to host first summit for women leaders
- Friday, 13 Jul 2012 03:30am
- BY LOUELLA LOSINIO | VARIETY NEWS STAFF
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